Online Encyclopedia

axis runs from W.N.W. to S.S.E., ridges radiate outwards, separated by broad valleys, ending upwards in vast cirques. The most important ridges centre in the peak Lenana (16,300 ft.) . at the eastern end of the central See also:

GROUP

group, and through it runs. the See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief See also:

WATER

water-parting of the mountain, in a generally See also:

north to south, direction. Three main valleys, known respectively as Hinde, See also:

GORGES, SIR FERDINANDO (c. 1566-1647)

Gorges and Hobley valleys, run down from this to the east, and four—Mackinder, Hausberg, Teleki and Hohnei—to the See also:

west. From the central peaks fifteen glaciers, all lying west of the main See also:

DIVIDE

divide, descend to the north and south, the two largest being the See also:

Lewis and See also:

Gregory glaciers, each about 1 in. See also:

long, which, with the smaller Kolb See also:

glacier, See also:

lie immediately west of the maindivide. Most of the glaciers terminate at an altitude of 14,800–14,900 ft., but the small Cesar glacier, drained to, the Hausberg, valley, reaches to 14,450. Glaciation was formerly much more extensive, old moraines being observed down to 12,000 ft.

In the upper parts of the valleys a number of lakes occur, occupying hollows and See also:

rock basins in the agglomerates and ashes, fed by springs, and feeding many of the streams that drain the mountain slopes. The largest of these are LakeHohnei, lying at an altitude of 14,000 ft., at the See also:

head of the valley of the same name, and measuring 600 by 400 yds..; and See also:

Lake Michaelson (12,700 ft.?) in the Gorges; Valley. At a distance from the central core the radiating ridges become less abrupt and descend with a See also:

GENTLE (through the Fr. gentil, from Lat. gentilis, belonging to the same gens, or family)

gentle gradient, finally passing somewhat abruptly, at a height of some 7000 ft., into the level See also:

plateau. These See also:

OUTER

outer slopes are clothed with dense See also:

FOREST

forest and See also:

JUNGLE (Sans. jangala)

jungle, composed chiefly of junipers and Podocarpus, and' between 8000 and 9800 ft. of huge bamboos. The forest See also:

ZONE (Gr. 'WV77, a girdle, from 'wvvLvay to gird)

zone extends to about 10,500 ft., above which is the steeper alpine zone, in which pasturages alternate with rocks and crags. This extends to- a See also:

general height of about 15,000 ft., but in See also:

DAMP

damp, sheltered valleys the pasturages extend some distance higher. The only trees or shrubs in this zone are the See also:

GIANT (O.E. geant, through Fr. giant, O.Fr. gaiant, jaiant, jeant, med. pop. Lat. gagante—cf. Ital. gigante—by assimilation from gigantem, ace. of Lat. gigas, Gr. yiyas)

giant Senecio (See also:

GROUNDSEL (Ger. Kreuzkraut; Fr. senecon)

groundsel) and See also:

LOBELIA

Lobelia, and See also:

tree-heaths, the Senecio forming groves in the upper valleys. Of the See also:

FAUNA

fauna of the See also:

LOWER

lower slopes, tracks of See also:

ELEPHANT

elephant, See also:

LEOPARD

leopard and See also:

BUFFALO

buffalo have been seen, between 11,500 and 14,500 ft. That of the alpine zone includes two See also:

SPECIES

species of dassy ( Procavia) , a coney (Hyrax); and a See also:

RAT (a word common to Teut. and Rom. languages; probably first adopted in Teut.; the ultimate origin is not known; Skeat suggests the root rad-, to scratch; cf. Ger. Ratte, Dan. rotte, Fr. rat, &c.)

rat (Otomys) The See also:

BIRD

bird fauna is of considerable See also:

INTEREST

interest] the finest species of the upper zone being an See also:

EAGLE (Fr. aigle, from the Lat. aquila)

eagle-See also:

OWL (O. Eng. Ule, Swed. Uggla, Ger. Eule—all allied to Lat. Ulula, and evidently of imitative origin)

owl, met with at 14,000 ft. At 11,000 ft. was found a See also:

brown chat, with a See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good See also:

DEAL

deal of See also:

white in the tail. Both the fauna and See also:

FLORA

flora of the higher levels present See also:

close See also:

AFFINITIES

affinities with those of See also:

MOUNT, WILLIAM SIDNEY (1807-1868)

Mount See also:

ELGON

Elgon, of other mountains of East Africa and of Cameroon Mountain. The true native names of the mountain are said to be Kilinyaga, Doenyo Ebor (white mountain) and Doenyo Egeri (spotted mountain).

It was first seen, from;a distance, by the missionary See also:

Ludwig Krapf in 1849; approached from the west by See also:

Joseph See also:

Thomson in 1883; partially ascended by See also:

COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

Count S. Teleki (1889), J. W. Gregory (1893) and Georg Kolb (1886); and its summit reached by H. J. Mackinder in 1899. See J. W. Gregory, The Great Rift-Valley (See also:

LONDON

London, 1896) H. 'J. Mackinder, " See also:

JOURNEY (through O. Fr. jornee or journee, mod. Fr. journee, from med. Lat. diurnata, Lat. diurnus, of or belonging to dies, day)

Journey to the Summit of Mount Kenya," Geog. Jndl., May 1900.

(E.

End of Article: KENYA

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.

» Add information or comments to this article.

Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.

Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
KENTUCKY

[next]
KENYON, LLOYD KENYON, 1ST BARON (1732-1802)